Mercy of a Warrior
by No1fan15
Summary: Goku, while training with Whis, accidentally sends himself back in time. While his friends try to figure out how to get him back, Goku finds himself in the past, and is surprised at what he sees. Going by the name Leeku, Goku tries to get back home, which is decidedly more difficult once you've somehow become the bodyguard of your worst enemy. Who happens to be a child.
1. 1 - Oops

**Chapter One – Oops.**

 _On a small planet somewhere in space..._

"C'mon Whis, we haven't done any training today!" whined Goku. He pouted as Whis ignored him again. They would usually have been training for hours by now. He was starting to get impatient.

"What's so important that we can't train, huh?" he asked, expecting more silence.

"Listen well Goku, as I'll only say this once."

Goku snapped to attention. This was the first time Whis had spoken to him all day.

"My powers are acting up today, to put it simply, and I can't train at the moment. Even the slightest shift in focus could mean disaster." Whis explained, never taking his eyes off his staff, paying no attention to a rather upset looking Goku.

"What?! You mean you can't train me? It can't be _that_ bad!" he exclaimed.

"If you wish to stay in this dimension, timeline, and perhaps even life, I suggest you either stay put and wait, or find someone else to train with for the day." said Whis calmly, as he was never one to panic, though Goku had a way of testing his patience.

"But Vegeta and Lord Beerus are training on Earth, and I can't get there without you! And there's no one to train with here!" said Goku, gesturing to the bright but empty landscape of the planet around them. A sly smile spread across the Sayians face as an idea came to him. It was a stupid idea, but then again, this is Goku we're dealing with. He crept up next to Whis as quietly as he could, stifling a giggle.

This was one of his greatest plans yet., but yet again, that's not saying much.

"If you can't bring me there yourself... then I'll just borrow your staff!" he said, reaching out for it. Whis broke his concentration for a half second, and as small as the break was, it was enough to cause a flux in his powers. As soon as Goku touched the staff, he vanished, with no indication that he had ever been there.

"Oh dear, that isn't good." Whis muttered to himself. He quickly located where Goku was , and with a sinking feeling in his chest, located _when_ Goku was.

"The others aren't going to be happy about this." he sighed. The flux seemed to have leveled out his power back to usual, so he quickly contacted Beerus, taking the few moments needed to connect to Earth to sort out how he would explain things. Soon enough, the projection from his staff took form, revealing itself to be a rather grumpy looking God of Destruction.

"What is it Whis? I'm busy. The earthlings have a new dish for me to sample. Something called poutine, and so far it smells divine, so this had better be worth interrupting me." Beerus grumbled. His anger diminished slightly when he saw Whis was not his usual happy self. Whis, on the other end of the call, readied himself to deliver the news.

"My Lord, we have a problem."

 _On Earth, a few moments earlier..._

"So.. this poutine... what is it made of?" inquired Beerus. He leaned in to sniff at the bowl.

"Well, Lord Beerus, it's mainly comprised of potato, cheese, and gravy." explained Bulma. She glanced over at Vegeta. She rarely saw her husband nervous, but whenever it came to the God of Destruction, he always seemed on edge. Well, on edge more than usual, considering his temper.

"So, you melt cheese curds on top of these "fries", and douse it all in the meat broth you call gravy. An interesting combination. It had better taste as good as it smells, or else I'm destroying this planet, you hear me?" said Beerus. Bulma nodded nervously. Beerus had never followed through on his threats so far, but she had seen first hand how serious he was about them, and was always hoping that whatever dish he ate, he would happen to like. Before Beerus could get in a single bite, however, he paused. One of his ears twitched slightly. He let out a sigh and stood up strait.

"Just a moment. Whis is calling." he grumbled, turning to face the green circle of energy that had materialized nearby, hovering a few feet above the ground. The image in the circle wavered for a few seconds, then calmed, revealing Whis on the other end of the call.

"What is it Whis? I'm busy. The earthlings have a new dish for me to sample. Something called poutine, and so far it smells divine, so this had better be worth interrupting me." he snapped. His anger lessened slightly when he noticed Whis wasn't smiling. His assistant had a happy demeanour by default, to the point it was almost annoying, so to see him this serious was a rare occurrence.

"My Lord, we have a problem." said Whis. "To put things rather bluntly, Son Goku has accidentally sent himself back in time."

"HE WHAT!?" The exclamation came from all three of the people in the area.

"What do you mean, he accidentally sent himself back in time?!" asked Beerus.

"My powers were fluctuating earlier today, and Goku thought it would be a good idea to grab my staff, probably to travel back to earth." replied Whis.

"Why didn't you stop him?!" said Bulma. Whis sighed.

"I was focused on keeping my powers in check. I didn't have enough time to react before it happened." he explained.

"Then go back in time yourself and bring him back before that idiot breaks history!" yelled Vegeta. Whis shot the prince a look that shut him up right away.

"It's not that simple. When Goku went back, he created a new timeline, one with his influence. The most I can do is create a connection between the two timelines so we can bring him back once he dies."

"ONCE HE WHAT!?"

"Let me explain. I can monitor Goku from here. Once he is about to perish in the timeline he's travelled to, I can snatch him from it just before it happens, therefore preventing a paradox in that timeline. He will be perfectly safe once I've brought him back. There is no need to worry." said Whis.

"Why don't we just use the Dragonballs?" asked Bulma.

"To use the Dragonballs for this task would still create a paradox, and unlike me, the dragons cannot rewind time." explained Whis. Beerus narrowed his eyes.

" _We could just use the Super Dragon Balls or ask the Kai of time for help if things are this bad. Why is Whis lying?"_ he wondered. He was going to have a serious talk with Whis later.

"How long will Kakarot be stuck? The longer he's gone, the less time we have to train." grumbled Vegeta.

"The connection between the timelines acts very similarly to that of the Hyperbolic Time Chamber you know. One day in our timeline equates to around a year in the timeline Goku is trapped in. The only way we'll know when he comes back is when he, as I have stated, dies in that timeline." said Whis.

"So... who's going to tell Chi Chi?" said Bulma.

"I think it's best if I deliver the news myself." said Whis. "It is, in part, my fault."

"Good luck with that." sighed Bulma. "I, for one, would not like to deal with Chi Chi when she's angry."

"I shall take your warning in stride and proceed with my duties." said Whis. The call ended as the circle of energy faded away.

" _Hopefully, she'll take the news well."_ thought Whis as he began traveling to Chi Chi's house. Sadly, for him, she did not.

 _On a distant planet in an alternate timeline..._

Goku looked around, confused, at the building surrounding him.

"This isn't earth." he stated. He stared up at the curved ceiling. The building wasn't a kind he recognized. Everything seemed to be made out of a smooth, white material. It almost looked like the houses on Namek. He started to walk down the hallway. Many doors lead to smaller rooms, full of weapons, and armor. Goku realized that, while the weapons looked very low tech, the armor was very close to the stuff that Frieza's army had worn back on Namek, and in their recent invasion of earth. He quickly ducked into one of the rooms as he heard footsteps coming down the hall. To his surprise, two men walked past who seemed very similar to himself, with the exception of... tails?

" _They're... Sayians?!"_ thought Goku. Things were getting very weird. With a sigh, he decided that the best way to learn more would be to blend in, and he changed into one of the nearby sets of armor. As important as going unnoticed was, he couldn't bring himself to get rid of his Gi completely, so he re-purposed his belt into a headband. With his disguise done, he took a second to look into the nearest reflective surface, and smile. Said smile faded as he noticed a small figure standing behind him who looked very familiar.

"You. Turn around."

Goku felt a shiver run down his spine. He knew that voice, even if it seemed to have changed slightly, and he slowly turned to confirm his suspicions. Standing behind him, much shorter than the last time they had met, was Cooler. Or at least, a version of Cooler, as he was very short.

"No tail, hmm?" stated Cooler. He smiled unexpectedly. "You're perfect for the job. Come with me."

Goku, too stunned to do much else, nodded and followed his old enemy out of the room.

" _Why is Cooler here? And why does he look so different? None of this makes sense."_ thought Goku as they walked down the hall. They soon arrived at an opening in the wall leading out to the planets surface. Goku noted the pink and purple tinge to the rocks, the deep blue sky, and the many enormous crystals emerging from the ground.

"I assume you can fly?"

Goku snapped to attention. Cooler was hovering a few feet above the ground, looking expectantly at him, waiting for a response. Goku nodded again and floated up to match the princes height. Cooler smiled again, still not a sight Goku was used to, and began flying towards a rather large structure in the distance. Goku trailed a few feet behind him, still trying to sort things out, and having no luck. Cooler turned his head to look at the Sayian.

"I suppose I should explain why I've asked you to the main palace." he said. A blank look from Goku confirmed this.

"Well," Cooler continued, "My baby brother has always wanted to train against a Sayian. However, since the palace is in direct view of the moon at all times, out father thought it unwise to have any Sayians there, on account of the transformations your kind utilize whenever the moon is full."

"So you got me because I don't have a tail and can't transform!" exclaimed Goku, glad to have figured something out, at least. Cooler gave Goku an amused look.

"Yes, I did. You seem to be a little brighter than the rest of your race. Tell me, Sayian, what is your name?" asked Cooler. Goku felt a tinge of panic. He knew something odd was going on, and telling his name to Cooler probably wasn't a good idea, despite the unusual friendliness they Icejin was displaying.

"It's.. uh.. Leeku!" he exclaimed, saying the first name that came to mind.

"Well then, It's a pleasure to meet you, Leeku." said Cooler with another smile. Goku nervously smiled back. His plan, however weak it may be, seemed to be working. At least he hadn't been attacked yet. The two flew in silence for the next while. They passed over canyons and mountains, all studded with giant gemstones, and several small villages were visible.

"There's the palace. If you're lucky, it's where you'll be living from now on." said Cooler after a few minutes, pointing towards the building on the horizon. Goku looked at the palace, amazed not only at the sheer size of it, but of the fact that most of it seemed to be carved out of crystals. The building seemed to simply grow out of the side of a mountain. Sunlight reflected off the crystals at all angles, making it a magnificent sight to behold, albeit a slightly blinding one.

"I'll alert father to your arrival, but before that, I should introduce you to my brother. He's the one you'll be training if things work out." said Cooler as the landed at the doors. He lead Goku down the arched hallways with ease, though they all looked the same to the Sayian, and eventually they came to an open walled training area. Goku tried to remember who Coolers brother was, as he was sure he had heard him mention it during one of their fights, but his thought process was cut short as he noticed the much smaller Icejin flying in circles near the ceiling.

"Frieza! Get down here! I've got something for you." called Cooler. The small Icejin, whom Goku now recognized was indeed Frieza, floated down to head height.

"Who's this?" he asked. Goku was surprised to hear not the voice he knew the tyrant so well for, but the voice of a young child, explaining his appearance. This Frieza was just a kid. Around seven or eight, Goku guessed, though it was hard to tell. Little Friezas face lit up as he identified Gokus species.

"You brought me a Sayian?!" he exclaimed, smiling widely, his tail starting to wag in excitement.

"I did. This is Leeku, the tailless Sayian." said Cooler smugly, obviously proud of himself. Little Frieza gave his brother a quick hug before flying around Goku a few times to examine him.

"This is so awesome! No tail means no transforming, right?" he asked.

"Yep, we can grow them back, but I didn't want to." said Goku, caught up in Little Friezas enthusiasm, realizing a second too late that he probably shouldn't have spoke. Luckily for him, the small Icejin was too happy to notice, distracted by all the possibilities of training with a Sayian.

"Father is letting him stay, right?" he asked.

"I still have to convince him. Care to tag along?" said Cooler. Little Frieza gladly perched himself on his older brothers shoulders, tail still wagging, looking up at Goku.

"Don't worry, Leeku, I'll make sure you get to stay!" he exclaimed happily. Goku did his best to smile back, despite every memory of Frieza telling him this was a bad idea, and followed the brothers as they lead the way forwards. As they walked, Goku finally realized what had happened, to an extent.

" _I'm in the past!"_ The thought hit him out of nowhere. Everything suddenly fell into place. The Sayians, the older weapons, how much younger Cooler and Frieza were. It all made sense, with the exception of how he got to what seemed to be the Icejins home planet, and how he was sent back in time in the first place. Though, if he had to guess, Goku figured it had something to do with Whis. Before he could put any more thought into it, they had arrived in the throne room, the halls lined with soldiers. Cooler walked in the front of the group, with Little Frieza still hitching a ride, and Goku fell into step a few feet behind them. He looked to the throne at the end of the room. Sitting there was an Icejin he didn't recognize, but judging by everything around him, this guy was the King Kold Trunks had told him about.

"Cooler, Frieza, why have you brought a Sayian into the palace?" he demanded. Little Frieza floated off his brothers shoulders and ran up to his father.

"Cooler found a tailless Sayian for me to train with!" he said happily. Kold leaned down and picked up his youngest son, placing him in his knee, smiling all the while.

"Oh my, he did, did he? That's quite the feat." he said. Little Frieza grinned up at his father.

"His name's Leeku! Can we keep him? Please? He doesn't have a tail, so he can't turn into a giant monkey, and he'll get stronger the more we train! He's the perfect sparring partner!" he explained excitedly. King Kold looked over at Cooler and Goku.

"A tailless Sayian? I'm surprised. Most Sayians take pride in their tails." he mused.

"Most do, indeed, but this one said he has no interest in growing his back." said Cooler.

"He did? How odd..." said Kold. Goku felt the need to speak up, despite the danger, because he could easily be killed anyways if Kold thought Goku was trying to trick them.

"It got in the way... Sir. It's easier to fight when you don't have to worry about an extra limb. Besides, last time I transformed, I... uh... accidentally killed my grandfather." said Goku. Kold raised an eyebrow, surprised that this Sayian spoke out of turn so easily, but the story intrigued him.

"You did? That's very unfortunate. But, in Sayian culture, are deaths in the family not commonplace?" he said.

"Well, I guess, but my grandpa was the only family I had. Plus, I was dropped on my head as a baby, so I was never as violent as the other kids." said Goku. The last part was only partly a lie, as he was dropped, though he never met any other Sayian kids to compare himself to.

"You say you were never as violent, and yet you mentioned your love of fighting, did you not?" said Kold. Goku felt himself starting to panic. Kold was spotting all the holes in his story quickly.

"Well... since I didn't have any family to look after me... I had to fend for myself. And it's in Sayian nature to want to fight, right?" he said, hoping the explanation satisfied Kolds curiosity.

" It is indeed. My word, you are quite the odd one, Leeku the tailless Sayian." said Kold with a small laugh. Goku sighed with relief. Hopefully he wouldn't have to tell the king anything else. He wasn't sure if he could keep this up for much longer. Even if it was the past, he was still surrounded by enemies, and he itched to fight someone.

"So Papa? Can we keep him? Please?" Little Frieza piped up, looking to his father hopefully. Kold laughed again and patted his son on the head.

"I suppose so. You can use him to train. Cooler will be in charge of everything else. Won't you?" he said. Cooler bowed.

"I will, Father. You have my word." he said.

"YES! Thank you thank you thank you!" exclaimed Little Frieza, hugging his dad the best he could, and flying over to Goku.

"You hear that Leeku? You're gonna train with me!" he said. Goku smiled nervously.

" _How did I get myself into this?"_ he thought as Little Frieza lead him back to the training yard.


	2. 2 - Training Daze

**Chapter Two – Training Daze**

 _On Earth, in the main timeline..._

"So dad's stuck in this other timeline until he dies there?"

"That's the gist of it, yes." sighed Whis. He had explained the situation to so many people today, the story might as well be burned into his brain.

"But you're gonna bring him back here before he dies, right?" continued Goten. Whis gave the child a gentle smile.

"Don't worry Goten, your father will not come to harm." he said.

"Let me guess, he's training?" said Chi Chi, her initial panic long gone, replaced with resigned determination. Whis took a second to check his staff.

"I can't pinpoint exact activities due to the time difference, but in a general sense, it seems so." he said. Chi Chi sighed wearily.

"Of course. Leave it to my Goku to find a way to train, even when he's in the past." she mumbled.

"Come on, Mom, if dad's training then that means he's probably safe. Right Whis?" said Gohan, standing beside his mother. Whis nodded.

"As far as I can tell, Goku is in no immediate danger. He should only be away for a few weeks at most. And don't worry about him aging. Sayians have a habit of staying young, at least into their eighties, so it won't make any significant difference. " he said.

"So you're saying Kakarot is becoming stronger without me? He'll pay for this..." growled Vegeta. The prince had been brooding in the corner for the last hour.

"It is very likely." replied Whis. Vegeta grunted something about using the gravity chamber and stomped out of the room.

"And with that, I'll think it's time we take our leave." said Beerus, walking over to Whis.

"Of course my lord." said Whis, preparing to go.

"Wait, when you bring Goku back... he'll still remember us, right?" asked Chi Chi. Whis gave her a reassuring smile.

"Have no fear. His memories should be fully intact upon his return." he said. With that final statement, he left, taking Beerus with him.

 _Beerus' planet..._

"Whis, care to explain why you're lying to me?" asked Beerus. Whis turned to face his old student.

"What do you mean, my lord?" he said, voice steady. Beerus glared at him.

"You know full well what kind of ripple effect this could have, throughout this universe, if not more. And yet you still insist on letting this whole thing continue unabated. I'm sure that if we asked the King of All, he would be able to fix this, so why do insist on staying quiet?" he said. A few more moments of silence followed.

"I really can't hide anything from you, can I?" said Whis with a small laugh. Beerus rolled his eyes.

"I'm surprised you try to in the first place." mumbled Beerus.

"You have a point." said Whis.

"And you still haven't answered my question!" Beerus snapped. Whis was starting to try his patience. Despite all their years together, Whis was still one of the most frustrating people Beerus knew, and it showed the most when they argued.

"Mainly because it would be very difficult to convince you of my reasoning." Whis replied. Beerus crossed his arms and scowled.

"Try me."

 _Frost Demon Home Planet, Many years and one day ago_

"No, this one won't do..." Cooler muttered, tossing aside the profile of yet another Sayian elite. He had been trying for ages to get a Sayian training partner for his little brother. Said Sayian needed to be tailless. However Sayians, as he was finding out, are rather fond of their tails. He walked out of the file room and down the hall. He needed a break. A sudden sound in the armory caught his attention. There was a Sayian standing there, not one he recognized, but one thing was clear. This Sayian didn't have a tail. Cooler allowed himself a triumphant smirk as he quietly walked into the room. Looks like his luck had turned.

 _Current day..._

Cooler grinned as he thought back to when he had found Leeku. The Sayian had appeared out of nowhere, had no family to tie him down, and was fine not having a tail. He was almost too good to be true. Cooler finished typing his speech for an upcoming event and stood up to stretch. He snapped his fingers. A servant emerged from the corner of the room, holo-pad at the ready, eager to serve.

"Breeze, make sure that Frieza and his Sayian companion are ready for the event tomorrow." he said. Breeze nodded and began typing.

"The tailless Sayian Leeku. Quite the title for a low class warrior." he remarked. Most servants of the Kold family would never get away with such informal banter, but Breeze was different. He had been Cooler's closest friend and confident since he started taking on more royal responsibilities. He was almost never seen away from him.

"Low class or not, that Sayian is strong, I can feel it." Cooler said, confident in his choice to reveal Leeku to the public tomorrow.

"I believe that's being tested at this moment, My lord, in the training room. Would you like to go and check?" Breeze suggested. Cooler shrugged.

"Why not? I deserve a break today." he reasoned, and promptly headed out the door. He let his mind wander as he headed towards the training room. Just how strong was this Leeku character? Could he be powerful enough to be Frieza's bodyguard? Cooler shook his head. No use fantasizing when the evidence was right in front of you. As soon as he got to the training room, however, the last thing he thought he would see was his little brother slamming into the wall hard enough to leave a crater.

 _Training Room, Kold palace, a few minutes earlier..._

"No fair!"

Goku signaled for his training partner to take a break and turned to face the small Icejin standing behind him. Little Frieza looked up at him with a pout.

"What's not fair?" Goku asked.

"You're supposed to be training me." Little Frieza whined. His tail flicked from side to side. The prince was obviously upset. Goku, however, was only confused.

"But your brother said I need to test my strength first." he said, scratching his head. Little Frieza crossed his arms.

"That's just 'cause he thinks I'm too weak to fight you full out." he huffed, absentmindedly kicking the floor.

" _You have no idea..."_ Goku thought to himself. He was still having a hard time grasping that the child he was dealing with was the same as the tyrannical monster that had caused him so much pain in the future. Nevertheless, in his current situation, there was nothing he could do about it. He crouched down to look Little Frieza eye to eye.

"So, you want to fight me at full power, but your big brother won't let you?" he said. Little Frieza nodded.

"Well... he's not here now, is he? So... we could fight without him knowing." Goku suggested. Little Frieza let out a small gasp and smiled.

"You really mean that Leeku?" he asked hopefully. Goku grinned and gave him a thumbs up. Little Frieza flew a quick celebratory loop-de-loop before eagerly heading over to the training grounds. He landed on the far side and looked over at Goku with a large grin. Goku smiled back. Despite his looks, Little Frieza was just that, little. A young child excited to strut his stuff.

"Alright." Goku shouted across the room. "You show me what you got, and I'll fight back if I need too."

"Trust me, you'll need to." Little Frieza yelled back, his cocky attitude showing as he dropped into a fighting stance. Goku smirked. Maybe this Frieza and the future one weren't too different after all.

"Ready whenever you are." Goku called out, fists raised in a guard.

Little Frieza leaped up, hovered for a second or two, and flew at top speed towards him. Goku, used to much faster opponents, nearly forgot to dodge. The near miss seemed to encourage Little Frieza, as he quickly turned back around, whipping his tail towards Goku's face. Goku frowned slightly as he caught the tail in one hand and caught an incoming punch in the other. He had been expecting... more. More of a challenge. One quick knee strike later, and Little Frieza had gone flying acroos the room and slammed into a wall, halting their training.

"You... uh... you okay?" Goku asked. It felt weird to be concerned about his worst enemy. The dust settled, revealing a good sized crater in the wall, and a small Icejin on the ground. Little Frieza sat up slowly, wiping a thin streak of violet blood away from his mouth, and wobbling on his feet. Goku felt a small pang of guilt. This version of Frieza was just a kid.

 _"Maybe I shouldn't have hit him that hard..."_ Goku wondered. Any fear he had for Little Frieza's health vanished as the prince gave him a gap-toothed grin.

"You're really strong!" he stated, taking a moment to check his mouth, and spitting out a small tooth.

"Is... that supposed to come out?" Goku asked. Little Frieza shrugged.

"It's a small one. It'll grow back soon, see?" he walked closer and opened his mouth wide. Sure enough, in the gap where the old tooth was, a small bit of white enamel was already starting to shine through.

"Wow, you grow those back fast, don't 'cha?" Goku remarked. Little Frieza grinned, showing many sharp teeth, impressive even with the small hole.

"Faster they grow, faster I can fight again." he said.

"Which won't be for a while."

Goku and Little Frieza both turned to see Cooler striding into the room, Breeze in tow, and not too pleased.

"Frieza, I told you, let the others test Leeku's strength first. Don't think I wasn't watching your little spar. We don't need you getting hurt. Especially with a public reception tomorrow." he said with a scowl. Breeze tapped some notes into his holo-pad.

"He should have most of his tooth back by then, My Lord." he said with a optimistic smile. Little Frieza ran up to the servant.

"Breeze, don't let Cooler punish Leeku, please! I was the one who asked to fight." he said worriedly. Breeze gently patted the prince on the head.

"I'm afraid that's not my job, little one, you'll have to ask him yourself." he said. Little Frieza pouted a little and looked up at his brother.

"Please?" he repeated. Cooler let out a heavy sigh.

"Fine. Leeku will face no punishment. You, however," he poked his sibling on the nose, " Are going to be grounded for a few days."

"Okay..." Little Frieza said, disappointed, but relieved that his new friend could stay. Goku looked on in disbelief. Little Frieza standing up for him.

He was never going to get used to this.


	3. 3 - Promotion

_**AN: And we're back! Sorry for the wait! I had to sort out some IRL things. Shout out to my Media writing teacher for helping me with stuff.**_

* * *

 _Icejin Home Planet, the past_

"Leeku? Are you awake?"

Goku blinked a few times, realized it was morning, and sat up with a start. He tossed the blankets away, body tense, and felt himself start to panic. This wasn't his home and his family wasn't there no one was there and that guy looks like Frieza and -

 _"Right. I'm in the past."_ he realized. Goku sighed, took a moment to collect himself, and turned to face the person who had woken him up. Said person was Breeze, the servant Icejin from the day before, whom he had just punched in the face.

"Are you okay?! That was an accident, I swear!" Goku exclaimed, getting out of bed to check on Breeze, hoping that he hadn't injured him. Breeze sat up from the floor, laughing slightly, despite the fact that his nose was bleeding. He waved off Gokus offered hand and stood up.

"I'm quite alright. I've dealt with Prince Friezas' tantrums when he was younger. I can handle a few hits." he reassured the Sayian before proceeding to pinch his nose lightly to stop the bloodflow. "Although I must admit, you hit quite harder than he ever did."

"I guess I'm still getting used to this place." Goku said sheepishly. Breeze nodded.

"It does take a while. I'll leave you for a few minutes to get ready before we head out." he said, starting to walk out the door.

"Wait, get ready for what?" Goku asked. It was too late, however, as Breeze was already gone. Goku decided to inquire further once he returned.

For the moment, he was alone, something that hadn't happened much since he had arrived. The small window in his assigned room offered a grand view of the planet. The light from the sky reflected off the natural crystals, creating a rainbow display on everything it touched. Goku guessed it was early morning, as it appeared to be sunrise, even though the moon was always visible.

"Wow, Chi Chi would love this." Goku said quietly. The thought of his wife caused a tsunami of others about the rest of his family and friends back home.

 _"I'm never gonna see them again."_ he realized. Everything had happened so fast when he arrived in the past, he hadn't stopped to think about the family and friends he left behind. _"Everyone... Chi Chi, Gohan, Goten, Pan, Videl, Ox King, Bulma, Vegeta, Trunks, Krillin, 18, Marron, Yamcha, Tien, Chiaotzu, Roshi, Piccolo... all of them."_

Goku put his head in his hands as the gravity of the situation finally hit him full force. Everyone he cared about was gone. For the first time since he was a kid, he had no one, and the unfamiliar sensation of tears on his face had returned. In the early hours of the mornings, many years ago, the hero grieved for his loved ones. Then, as soon as the tears started, they stopped. He couldn't go back, as far as he knew, but he could still try.

"Are you alright?"

Goku looked over at the door. Breeze was standing there, a bandage on his face, along with a concerned look. Goku wiped any remaining tears off his face and tried to smile.

"I'm okay. Just.. thinking about my family." he explained. Breeze walked over and sympathetically patted the Sayians shoulder.

"I understand how you feel. I was told that you have no remaining family members. The same was true for me, many years ago. The Kold royal family took me in when I was but a hatchling. I've lived here my whole live, happily serving them, and over time they came to be more than employers. They became my new family. I hope that one day you can consider them your family as well Leeku." Breeze said. Goku took a few moments to process the statement. He still wasn't used to Cooler and Frieza being nice to him, but Breeze was a different guy, and his words brought some comfort.

"Thanks, Breeze, that means a lot." Goku said, his smile a little stronger. Breeze grinned back at him and gave him a light pat on the back.

"That's the spirit. Now, follow me, we have to get you ready for your promotion." Breeze said. Goku trailed a few feet behind Breeze cautiously.

"A promotion?" he asked.

"It's more like officially appointing you to your position as Prince Friezas bodyguard." Breeze said. "Said position is very exclusive. Therefore, it's worthy of a public announcement."

"Okay... I get that, I guess..." Goku said.

"Don't stress too much about it. We'll get you cleaned up, dressed up, and go over the schedule before you go anywhere near the stage." Breeze assured him.

"Schedule? Do I hafta memorize stuff?" Goku inquired. Breeze laughed softly.

"You'll be asked to remember your cue to stand is all. No speeches for you." he said. As they walked, Goku took a few moments to take a closer look at Breeze, and he started to notice many differences between him and the others. The colored chitin on his head and limbs was a pale teal. His skin was white, like Frieza and Kold, the only difference being a sprinkling of blue freckles across his face. He also seemed to have matching blue markings above his eyes.

 _"I think Bulma called that eyeshadow..."_ Goku thought. Breeze noticed him staring.

"Haven't seen many Icejin like me before, have you?" he said. Goku shook his head. Breeze smiled softly.

"I can guess that you've seen only the Royals. They're the ones with the fancy facial markings. I'm of a more common breed. Like you." he explained.

They entered a large, mainly empty room. The walls were lined with various uniforms and weapons. At the far end, a desk, seemingly empty. Breeze walked right over to the desk and leaned over slightly.

"Good morning. I'm here to find a uniform fitting of a royal bodyguard." Breeze said. Goku looked over the edge of the desk. Sitting with his head down was an Icejin with chitin near black. He looked to be asleep, a notion that faded as he slowly raised his head, but he still seemed very tired.

"So, that's the tailless Sayian the rumors are about?" he grumbled. Goku took note of the deep shadows under the aliens eyes. They could have been natural markings, but it was hard to tell.

"Yes, this is Leeku. We need some armor for him." Breeze said. He tilted his head slightly. "You seem exhausted. More than usual. Let me guess, Drift?"

"Not a very hard thing to guess." the other man grunted.

"Uhh... Drift?" Goku said, confused.

"Sorry. I forgot to introduce you. This is Squall." Breeze said. Goku stuck out a hand.

"Nice to meet you." he said cheerfully. Squall eyed the offered hand and eventually shook it with another grunt.

"Who's Drift, if you don't mind me asking?" Goku said. Squalls expression softened.

"He's my son. Hatched only a week ago. I've been staying up late to keep an eye on him." Squall said. Goku smiled.

"Congrats! Who's the mom?" Goku said, glad that Squall was being a bit more open. Squall raised an eyebrow and looked over at Breeze.

"It seems Leeku is a tad more under-educated than I initially thought. I'll be sure to give him a few facts before he starts working." Breeze said. Squall nodded.

"Long story short, we Icejin use our Ki to create an egg, and that egg hatches into a new one of us. However, many of us have low Ki to start, so our population his always minimal, and the eggs don't always hatch. Even if they do, the hatchlings are weak, and many don't last long. That's why I'm spending so much time with Drift. I'm not losing him." Squall explained quickly. Goku nodded slowly, taking a mental note to not bring it up again unless absolutely necessary, and shifted his gaze to the clothes on the wall. Squall floated past him and over to one of the outfits.

"Try this on." he said, tossing it towards Goku. Almost an hour later, Squall seemed satisfied with the uniform he had picked out. Most of the armor was the same as a black standard uniform, the main difference being a navy blue cape hanging from the shoulder pads, though Goku noticed the whole thing seemed shiner as a whole.

"Are you a tailor?" Goku asked, rolling his shoulders and stretching. Squall shrugged.

"It's more of a hobby. My official position is Captain of the Royal Guard." he said. "There hasn't been enough happening lately for the military to be used however."

"Is that a good thing?" Goku asked. Squall grinned faintly.

"I suppose. I am weaker than usual after I created Drift. It's nice to have a break." he said.

"If you two are done here," Breeze interjected, "Then we should get going."

"Go ahead. I'll see you at the ceremony later." Squall said with a shrug. Breeze smiled at him and motioned for Goku to come with him. Goku waved to Squall and followed Breeze through the halls. After a few twists and turns, they arrived in what looked like a spaceship hangar, something that was confirmed when a small craft floated in from the open wall.

"LEEKU!"

Goku turned around to face where the shout came from. Little Frieza was waving happily at him with a huge grin on his face. He was wearing a small cape with a hood, one that matched his brothers, the only difference being the color. Little Frieza had a dark purple to match his chitin, while Cooler had opted for a soft silver that reflected the light. Their father stood proudly behind his sons, in his usual attire, smiling as he watched little Frieza run up to Goku.

"Can we train after the ceremony?" Little Frieza asked hopefully. Goku took a moment to collect his thoughts. At this point, he was already in way too deep into the situation at hand, so why not give all his effort? With that reasoning, Goku beamed and picked up the young prince, earning a laugh from Little Frieza.

"Of course we can!" Goku said, his voice cheery. Little Frieza smiled even more.

"Yes!" he declared triumphantly, throwing a fist in the air. After a few seconds, he cleared his throat and tried his best to look dignified, a difficult feat while he was being held by his new bodyguard like a pet.

"Thank you Leeku. I look forward to it." he said. Goku noticed the change in his tone. This was closer to the Frieza he knew. A seemingly polite diplomat upon first meeting before all hell breaks loose. The comparison dropped as soon as Little Frieza wagged his tail slightly and looked up at Goku with childlike innocence. "Can I get down now?"

"No prob lil' guy." Goku replied, placing the prince back onto the floor. Cooler was the next person to approach Goku.

"Has Breeze told you what you have to do today?" he asked. Goku nodded.

"Remember my cue to stand." Goku said. Cooler grinned.

"Exactly." he said. He turned to face Breeze. "You did well."

"Thank you sir." Breeze said with a slight bow. He smiled proudly. "Everything else is also in order for today."

"Excellent." said King Kold, finally joining the rest of the small group and leading them towards the ship. After a short safety speech from the pilot, they were strapped into the seats, and heading towards what Goku assumed was the main town. As prepared as he was, Goku still felt nervous, and couldn't help but feel that something wasn't right.

 _On Beerus' planet..._

"That's your reasoning?" Beerus said quietly. While many would have expected him to yell, Whis knew that when Beerus was quiet, it meant he was at his angriest.

"Exactly. It's not very solid reasoning, I know, but I still think it's worth it." Whis said. He allowed Beerus a few more moments to himself.

"And you really believe that leaving Son Goku in the past is going to "help" him?" Beerus said, his voice rising slightly. His aura flared slightly. Whis took a few steps closer to Beerus.

"Exactly." he said. He reached out his hand slowly and gently started to pet Beerus on the head. Despite all of the rage he was feeling, the motion brought back happy memories, and he felt himself melting into the contact with an involuntary purr. Whis smiled as he noticed his plan, as it were, was working.

"Calm yourself, my little kitten, I'll take care of everything. You don't need to worry." he said, adopting a calming tone of voice. Beerus continued purring and started to lean closer to his assistant.

"You had better." he mumbled.

 _Icejin Home Planet, the past, after the ceremony  
_

"That will be all for today's address. Farewell!"

King Kold's declaration was meet with cheers from the crowd. Goku watched, standing a fair way behind the royal family, relieved that the whole event was over. He had remembered his cue, at least, and the people seemed to like him. Breeze walked over and patted him on the back lightly.

"Leeku, great job today. We're headed back to the ship now, but I understand if you would like to socialize with your fellow Sayians for a while first." he said. Goku hadn't noticed it before, but as soon as Breeze mentioned other Sayians, he realized that he was indeed curious about them. He had never had the chance to meet many other pure blooded Sayians before.

"I think I will. Thanks!" he said to Breeze with a smile. Breeze smiled back and walked over to the shipyard. Goku turned to face the dispersing crowd and started mingling.

"Hey, fight me!"

Goku looked down to see a young, spiky haired Sayian child glaring at him, fists in the air. Another, older Sayian caught up and placed a hand on the kids shoulder, pulling him back a bit.

"Don't be rude Bean. I said you can say hi, not fight, calm down." he said. The child, Bean, pouted.

"But if he's the royal bodyguard, that means he's strong, and I gotta beat him to be the strongest!" he argued. The older Sayian ruffled his hair.

"You can't even beat me yet, lil' bro, take it easy." He turned to face Goku. "Sorry about that, he's very hot headed."

"It's fine. I know someone kind of like him." Goku said, thinking back to when he trained with Vegeta, and about how much the Sayian prince resembled this child.

"My name is Chard. It's nice to meet you." replied the Sayian, extending a hand, and smiling when Goku shook it.

"Nice to meet you too. I'm G... Leeku." said Goku, almost forgetting his code name. Chard didn't seem to notice.

"I can see why Bean here wanted to fight you. A royal bodyguard has to be very powerful." he said. Bean wriggled out of his brothers grip and floated up to head height.

"It's gonna be my job someday!" he declared with a smirk. Goku couldn't help but smile. This kid was determined.

"Well, when you're strong enough to beat me, you can have it!" he said. Bean grinned happily.

After a few more pleasantries were exchanged, Goku said goodbye and flew back to the palace, trying to remember where his room was. Once he found it, he gladly collapsed on the bed, and decided that public events were not his strong suit. He slowly drifted off to sleep, his thoughts wandering back to earth and his family.


	4. 4 - Ripples

**Earth, Present timeline**

Son residence 

There had been many times before when Goku was absent from dinner. Training, and more often death, kept him busy. And yet every time he was gone ChiChi still found herself setting the table with his plate still in place. It was like a reminder, she told herself, that he would always come back. Back to his family and back to her.

"Mom?"

ChiChi turned around to see Goten standing in the doorway, his eyes downcast, fidgeting nervously.

"What wrong?" ChiChi asked, waking over to Goten and kneeling to face him. He looked at her with an expression full of worry and sadness.

"I know that Mr Whis said that dad's gonna be okay, but..." he started, falling silent with his unsaid question. ChiChi pulled him into a gentle hug.

"I know it's hard not to be scared but you have to believe in your father. He won't give up, wherever he is, and he'll come back to us. I know it." She assured him. Goten hugged her back tightly.

"Okay mom. I will. Do... do you think dad's having fun?" He asked. ChiChi laughed softly.

"Knowing my Goku he probaly is." she said. Goten grinned.

"Does that mean I get his share of dinner?" he asked hopefully. ChiChi pretended to be upset at the question. She pouted dramatically and ruffled her sons hair.

"Don't be silly Goten. Goku will want it when he gets back."

Satan residence

"I wonder how your dad's doing."

Gohan turned from playing with Pan to look at Videl. He gave her a tired smile.

"I wonder that too. I hope he's okay." he agreed. He let his attention drift back to his newborn daughter. Pan reached up with a tiny hand to grab her dad's finger and let out a happy gurgle when she succeed. Gohan picked her up gently and carried her over to where Videl was sitting.

"If what Whis said is right then dad's been in the past for nearly a year his time." he said, handing Pan to her mom. Videl smiled softly and laid a hand on Gohans shoulder.

"From what I've seen of your dad I'm sure he's fine, if a little confused." She said. Gohan smiled back and placed his hand on top of hers.

"You're right. If he's been there this long I'm sure he's figured it out." he said, leaning in to give Videl a light kiss on the forehead.

Tien's farm 

There were many times when Tien found it hard to focus. So whenever he got the chance he'd make his way onto the roof and look up at the stars. The farm was a quiet place. That added to the solitude made it the ideal place to meditate. Most nights he was alone with his thoughts. Chiaotzu rarely joined him. But more and more often he still ended up with a companion. This was one of those nights.

"Do ya think Goku realized he's time traveled yet?" asked Yamcha. He was visiting for the second time that day. Tien turned his head to look at him.

"Who knows. Judging by how long he's been there I'd say he has but there's no way to tell. Not until he gets back." He said with a shrug.

"... do you really think Whis can bring him back?" Yamcha said quietly.

"The Son family trusts him." Tien replied. Yamcha shifted his position so he could face Tien.

"But do you trust him?" he said. Tien sighed.

"Not really. It was only a few months ago when he and Beerus showed up and they were trying to destroy the planet at first. I don't know much about them and therefore don't have as much faith in them as the others might." he explained. Yamcha laughed suddenly.

"Me too. With Goku involved you never know what's going to happen." he said. "But, for everyone's sake I hope Whis can pull it off."

They both fell silent for a few minutes, staring at the sky, lost in their own thoughts.

"Wonder how his family is doing." Yamcha mumbled eventually. "They've dealt with this kind of stuff before, Goku going away without warning for a while, but what's it going to be like when he gets back? What if he finds a new family where he is?"

"I doubt he'd do something like that." said Tien. "But for the sake of argument why do you think he'd do it?"

"Loneliness." Yamcha replied, almost instantaneously. "When you lose everyone you care about so suddenly you don't want to be alone wherever you end up. Then again what do I know? I've never has a family and the only girl I ever loved ended up with someone else." He went quiet again after that, staring down instead of up. Normally Tien would be glad for the silence but now it just felt wrong. He tried to come up with something comforting to say.

"Well... if it makes you feel any better..." he started. Yamcha raised his head and looked over at Tien. His expression was so damn miserable that Tien nearly lost his train of thought.

"I won't leave you." he finished, rather weakly, not quite sure how else to end the sentence. However it seemed to have an impact, Tien noticed, as Yamcha started smiling. Without warning Tien found himself pulled into a hug, Yamcha holding him as close as he could. Tien returned the embrace rather awkwardly.

"Thank you. That means a lot to me." Yamcha whispered.

"Don't worry about it. We've known each other for nearly twenty years. It's the least I can do." Tien murmured back.

Chestnut residence

"Papa? When is Uncle Goku coming back?"

Krillin looked up from his paperwork to see Marron had sat next to him on the couch. He rubbed her head lightly.

"No one knows sweetie. But I'm sure he'll return soon." he said. Marron smiled, gave her dad a hug, and ran off somewhere else. 18 walked in the room soon after.

"You really have that much faith in him?" she asked. Krillin did his best to look hopeful.

"As much as I've ever had." he said. "Goku's got this."

"If you say so." said 18 with a sigh, joining Krillin on the couch. "I can't say I particularly like the guy, might just be my programming, but he is a close friend of yours and Marron likes him as well."

"I'm more concerned with what he's doing, wherever he ended up. Or whenever, I guess." Krillin said. "Wonder what he's been up to..."


	5. 5 - Routine

_Icejin home planet, the past_

As odd as his situation was Goku found himself adjusting to his new routine rather easily. After getting an earful from little Frieza the day after the announcement ceremony he made sure to never miss a training session again. It was almost a welcome change of pace. He had to hold back enough to not hurt the child but make sure he didn't look like he was going easy. It wasn't something he had ever had to do before and it added a welcome variety to his days. When he wasn't training with the young prince he was given free reign to wander the castle and occasionally visit the local sayian village. The young boy he had met prior, Bean, was always happy to spar with him. However such instances were few and far between. He had his bodyguard duties to keep in mind and it seemed that little Frieza was determined to stay by his side at all times. The child himself was proving interesting. There were moments when Goku could see the spirit of the bloodthirsty dictator he once knew in the eyes of his charge. At other times he acted so similarly to Gohan when he was a boy that it nearly overwhelmed Goku. He's remember spending time with his son whenever little Frieza would excitedly run up to him and insist on showing him something new. Even with his history with Frieza he could tell that this kid wasn't the same person. He wouldn't realize it until later but his influence in part created this change.

It happened one day after a few weeks of regular training. A simple soldier had been assigned to spar with little Frieza while Goku was busy. When he walked into the training room he saw that the soldier had been easily defeated by the icejin prince. Little Frieza was standing over the man with energy gathering at his fingertips. Goku recognized the gesture and instinctively rushed over. Before he knew it he was holding the tiny tyrant in his arms and had smothered the offending energy with his hand.

"Leeku, what are you doing?! I was gonna win!" Little Frieza complained. He tried to wiggle out of the sayians hold but Goku held fast.

"You already won! There's no need to kill him!" Goku exclaimed. Little Frieza halted his struggling for a moment and attempted to look up at his bodyguard.

"Why not?" he asked with a wide eyed innocence that should never be associated with such a question. Goku spent a moment trying to come up with a reason that little Frieza would listen to.

"Because killing's a bad thing!" he concluded. "A good ruler knows when to show mercy."

"... mercy?" Little Frieza repeated. Goku glanced at the downed soldier and they shared a look of disbelief.

"If you kill him he's not gonna get stronger for a rematch, right?" Goku reasoned. "Then you'll have only weak people left."

"But... I wanna fight strong guys!" Little Frieza said. Goku felt a twinge of nostalgia as he recognized a part of himself in the young boy. The desire to fight powerful opponents and grow stronger alongside them. He knew that feeling well and decided to appeal to it.

"Exactly. You can't fight strong people unless you help the weak ones grow." he said. Little Frieza seemed to consider it.

"How do I do that?" he asked. Goku felt it was safe enough to release the icejin so he placed him back down.

"By showing mercy." he explained. "Don't kill your opponents. Help them see how they can get stronger by fighting them. Then let them go so they can improve."

"... I guess that makes sense." Little Frieza mused. Goku barely held back a relieved sigh. At least some part of his argument had gotten through. The prince walked over to the soldier and held out a hand. "You fight pretty good but you're too slow. You need to work on your reflexes. Okay?"

"Y-yes your highness. I will." the soldier said weakly. He took the offered hand, even though it didn't help much, and stood up. He limped out of the room leaving with a whispered "Thank you" in Goku's direction. Little Frieza looked up at Goku with a shy smile.

"Did I do it right?" he asked. Goku grinned and gave him a thumbs up.

"Yeah, you did." he said. Little Frieza smiled wider and wagged his tail slightly. The rest of the day went by without incident but Goku couldn't get the event out of his mind. Knowing that he'd changed Frieza's mind about something as big as showing mercy... it meant that he could change things for the better in this timeline. It definitely improved his mood and others seemed to take notice. The topic was brought up one day while he was walking back to his room.

"Greetings, Leeku."

"Hey! Breeze! I haven't seen you around for a while." Goku said as the icejin fell into step beside him.

"I've been kept busy helping Prince Cooler with his duties. He's been taking on more and more work lately." Breeze explained.

"Why would he do that?" Goku asked.

"He's more than likely trying to prove that he can handle the same level of responsibility as the King." Breeze said. He scowled lightly. "It's not the first time he's done this."

"Really?" Goku said. Breeze looked around nervously and was satisfied to find the hallway empty. His entire posture slumped and he rubbed at his eyes.

"Every few months he does it. With the King busy with negotiations the prince feels he needs to do more. It's a noble effort but he can only handle so much. As can I." he said with a heavy sigh. "All I can do is support him and do my best to help with the workload.

"Okay... why don'tcha talk to him about it?" Goku suggested. Breeze blinked in surprise and Goku continued. "Tell him that you can still help but that he needs to take a break. You look pretty tired."

"I'm just a servant. I could never..." Breeze started to object.

"Ah, c'mon, you're his friend, aren't you? He trusts you with all this stuff, doesn't he?" Goku said. He grinned and patted Breeze on the shoulder. "I'm sure he just needs someone to talk to about this and then he'll stop doing it."

"... I suppose so." Breeze mused. "I am his confidant..."

"Then there ya go! Goku said gleefully. Breeze let a weak smile form on his face and left. In the days following he seemed a lot less tired. Goku still couldn't get part of their conversation out of his mind. Negotiations. What was that about? Thinking back in it he realized everyone had been acting a lot more on edge lately. There had to be something he wasn't being told. He decided to bring it up while on a walk with Little Frieza a while later.

Such walks were a treat in their routine. The surface of the planet near the castle was covered in glorious crystals growing taller than the trees of earth. Little Frieza loved to fly between them in lazy loops and play tag with Goku. The constantly changing light filtered through the stones kept them both on their toes as one wrong turn could result in being blinded by a sudden flare. Sometimes in their explorations they would find a river of what Goku assumed was a liquid close to water except purple in hue. It tasted fine and he didn't get sick from it so he was glad to take a drink whenever they came across it. They were walking alongside a river that ran down the middle of a crystal lined canyon when Goku asked his question.

"Hey, can I ask you something?" he said. Little Frieza paused his jumps across the rocks near to the river and turned to look at him.

"I guess so. What is it, Leeku?" he said.

"I was talking to Breeze a while ago and he mentioned... negotiations. And everyone seems to be a little jumpy. Is there some kind of war happening?" he said.

"Not a war, that ended years ago. It's more like... the grown ups haven't made up yet." Little Frieza said. He scowled down at the ground. "They never tell me anything about it."

"I see... who was the fight between?" Goku asked.

"It was the Kasai." said Little Frieza. "They've always fought with us Icejin over territory. The last war was a really big one. They used so much fire that we had to retreat from our off world colonies. Some of the stars are actually the planets we used to have. They're still burning."

"You seem to know a lot about it for someone who's not told much." Goku pointed out. Little Frieza shrugged.

"I had to learn about it. Leaders are supposed to know about history and stuff." he said. "I don't really care though. Father takes care of everything."

"I guess so..." Goku said. Something about that didn't sit right with him. They kept walking for a while longer. Then another inquiry occurred to Goku. "What if things don't work out? With the Kasai?"

"... I dunno." Little Frieza said. He looked over at Goku again and smiled. "You'll be there to protect me no matter what, right?"

"Right. I'll be there." Goku assured him. Little Frieza happily went back to his walk while Goku thought on the topic for a few more minutes. He hadn't had to protect Little Frieza from anything yet. He doubted the Kasai were much of a threat to him but he couldn't be sure. With all his hopes to find a way back home he'd have to put them aside if push came to shove. He put the idea in the back of his mind as Little Frieza declared a game of tag. He may as well focus on his job for now. The weeks following his walk and talk with Little Frieza varied little from the first few. He went about his routine with a bit more caution then before and kept an ear open for any information he could get.

Nearly two months after his arrival Breeze approached him again. This time there was a familiar face following him.

"Hey! I remember you." Goku said, pointing at the man, "You're the soldier from a few months ago."

"Yes, Sir." said the soldier.

"Leeku, this is Parlum. He's one of our captains. With the mounting conflict as of late the King thought it best to double up all the guards. Parlum will be your second in command while you're protecting Prince Frieza." Breeze explained. Goku grinned and stuck out his hand.

"Nice to meet 'cha!" he said happily. Parlum hesitantly shook his hand.

"Likewise. I, uh, I'd like to thank you for what you did, before." he said.

"Don't worry 'bout it!" Goku told him. Parlum gave a slight smile and then went back to his serious demeanor.

"I'll leave you two to it then." Breeze said. He turned with a wave and walked down the hall.

"Mounting conflict huh? I guess things aren't going well with those Kasai people." Goku said, thinking out loud.

"They never have." Parlum grumbled.

"Do you know anything about them? I haven't been told much." Goku said.

"... I see the rumors are true. You really did come from the middle of nowhere, didn't you?" Parlum said.

"I guess you could say that." Goku said. Parlum grinned again and kept it this time.

"That's a rare thing to see with you sayians. Even the villagers know about the Kasai." he said. "They're a race of people that control fire. They're weaker than the icejin but their population increases so fast that we can't keep up with their numbers. That's why the war ended in a draw. When they lost their colonies they called a truce. Things have been on the fence ever since."

"... do you think there's gonna be another one? A war?" Goku asked. Parlums' smile took on a bitter quality as he laughed softly.

"Of course. History repeats itself, after all. The honeyed words the king tells them will go sour eventually." he said. Then his expression fell into panic. "Please don't tell him I said that."

"I won't, don't worry." Goku said. "Although... it sounded pretty fancy."

"I, uh, wanted to be a poet before I got drafted." Parlum admitted with a small blush.

"You're real good at it!" Goku said. Parlum regained his smile again and the two went along Goku's routine together. Even with his reason for being there a heavy thought on his mind Goku was glad for the company. Parlum may be stoic when on duty but he seemed like a fun guy when he got to relax. Goku mentally added him to his list of friends. He didn't have too many in this timeline but even one was a welcome comfort.


End file.
